We have pre-booked all our train connections for our trip to Italy this coming April. I received confirmation e-mails from the travel agent, with CODICE numbers. The e-mails said I wouldn't need a paper ticket because the codice number was proof of payment and reservations. I am just concerned because all your books say to make sure the stamp your tickets before getting on the train to avoid fines, but we have been told to just show the e-mail confirmations on the train. Are we going to have trouble? Thanks, Allison
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17448 posts
Allison, it sounds like you have e-tickets for reserved seats. These do not need to be "stamped" or validated. that process is for open tickets on regional trains, the ones that do not have reserved seats. Those tickets are non-specific as to train, and can be used on any regional train within a specified period of day. You stamp or validate the ticket before you board the train to show you are using it for that jounrey. It cannot be used again. If you board the train without validating the ticket (it is just a date an dtime stamp), the conductor thinks you are trying to get away with something, as you can use the ticket for another journey. Hence the stiff fine, to discourage this practice. None of this applies to tickets for reserved seats. Those are for a specific train, car, and seat on IC and ES trains, where reservations are required. You do not nned to stampr these as they are not good on any other journey. If you have questions you could confirm with the ticket agent in the station before boarding the train.
Posted by
Texan in CA
4415 posts
**FYI, the people who answer questions on the Travelers Helpline are just travelers like yourself; this Helpline isn't answered by any 'official staff' from Europe Through the Back Door. It sounds like you may have the "Italy" guidebook; there is something called "Anatomy of an Italian Train Ticket" in the index...compare your emails with the train ticket (not that they will look the same; just looking for some common info) - do your emails show a seat number, a SPECIFIC time of departure and arrival, etc.? If so, then it sounds like you have reserved seats on a PARTICULAR train. Ditto everything Lola said... BE SURE TO BRING THE CREDIT CARD(S) USED TO MAKE THE RESERVATIONS!!! They, along with your emails, make up your ticket! Be careful with that credit card; if it's lost or stolen, your tickets are no good...(if your replacement card has a different card number on it because your account was compromised). Sounds like you're good to go...but do compare your emails with the Italian ticket example in the book.
Posted by
SAN DIEGO, CA, USA
28 posts
Allison, I also have an interest in your question and the responses you will receive. We are traveling to Venice, Florence and Rome in May and have spent the last three days online investigating rail passes (select pass because we will be in France and Germany first) and p2p. I would like to ask you if you could share the details of your connections and the process you used to acquire them. I read that it is just as easy to get train passes once we are in Europe. I would really like to hear your ideas about this. Fondly, Donna
Posted by
Shoreline, Washington, USA
76 posts
We usually wait to buy train tickets when we're in-country, but this year we will be in Italy over the Easter holidays, including Easter Monday (April 25) which this year is also Italy's Liberation Day, so a double holiday whammy! Thus we decided to buy our tix ahead of time. We did so through Rail Europe, so have actual paper tickets. I don't know about paperless tickets, Allison, but I'd love to know the answer as well! :-)